Unique to Seattle sex trade: Asian residential brothels

SEATTLE (AP) -- A study of the sex trade in Seattle and seven other cities found the Seattle area is unique in one way.

It has residential brothels where women, typically Asian women in their 40s and 50s, live and conduct business. The study says the brothels were set up in nondescript suburban apartments using women smuggled from Asia working as prostitutes to pay off their debts.

The arrangement offers more discretion for clients.

Lead researcher Meredith Dank told The Seattle Times (http://bit.ly/Oor1LN) that type of Asian residential brothel wasn't found anywhere else.

The study was conducted by the Urban Institute, a policy research group. Researchers hoped to give policy makers more information about the underground sex-trade industry.